


He Who Fights

by Up_sideand_down



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Barret Month 2020, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26295184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Up_sideand_down/pseuds/Up_sideand_down
Summary: My contributions to Barret Month 2020. Looking at Barret Wallace through all his hardships, loves, losses, and victories.1. Corel: Barret fumbles his way through his crush...and his annoying best friend.2. Avalanche: Kids these days...they need more lookin' after. Deep down, Barret doesn't mind.3. Marlene: Barret has a hard talk to the person he loves the most.4. ShinRa: Barret's hate of ShinRa leads him to very unlikely sources for sabotage.5. A soft moment for Barret and Cloud, long after the world is saved.
Relationships: Barret Wallace/Myrna Wallace, Cloud Strife/Barret Wallace
Comments: 13
Kudos: 46





	1. Corel

“Are you gonna talk to her?” 

Barret turned quickly back to Dyne, who was doing a terrible job of hiding a shit-eating smirk. 

“I dunno what you’re talking about,” Barret grumbled. He turned back decisively and continued tying off the load of lumber they were shipping out. Dyne did nothing at all to help. 

“I just wanna know which one it is,” he said, “not Eleanor.”

“Never,” Barret said, “she’s your girl.”

“Is it Lynette?” Dyne tried. 

“None of ‘em,” Barret said. 

“Laverne?” Dyne kept guessing. 

“Just shut up and keep workin’” Barret growled back. 

“Myrna?” Barret said nothing at all to that one. 

“Really?” Dyne said, “Myrna?” 

“Shut yer fuckin’ mouth,” Barret warned him. 

“I’m not sayin’ nothin’,” Dyne said, “Myrna’s a very nice girl.”

“Yer damn right,” Barret said with a grunt. 

“Very cute,” Dyne continued. 

“Mmm-hmm.”

“She’s lookin’ at you.”

“She’s…what?!” Barret nearly stumbled turning around, but realized to his horror that Myrna was looking his direction. He turned back around quickly, his cheeks a little more colorful than before. 

“I think she likes you too,” Dyne said. 

“Will you shut the fuck up and help me?!” Barret yelled at him. 

* * *

Barret swallowed thickly as he joined the line of men getting food. A lot of the people in town came up to the work zone with food for their family members and by now it was nearly a buffet with how friendly it was getting. He wasn’t upset about that. 

It was that Myrna was at the end ladling water…and his canteen was out and he could not skip over her. 

What made it worse was when Dyne looked back, saw Barret and then let the men behind him jump ahead so he could walk up with him. 

“You gonna say somethin’ to her today?” Dyne asked, all innocent and sweet. 

“None of yer business,” Barret replied. Dyne just kept that gods-awful smirk on his face all through the line. Barret didn’t understand what was wrong with him. He had no problem smiling and thanking Mrs. Smythe and Lynette Granger. 

But when he got to Myrna by the water…he clammed up and couldn’t say a damn thing.

“Thank you so much, Myrna,” Dyne said, almost too sweetly. Barret could kill him. 

“You’re welcome,” Myrna said. Barret tried to beat a hasty retreat. 

“Didn’t talk to her,” Dyna said tsking softly. 

“I’m gonna kill you,” Barret said. 

* * *

This was just great. He was on the road back into town…and of course she was too. Myrna. With no Dyne to make him less embarrassed about himself. He bowed his head and did his best to look past her, trying so hard not to look at her hair or her calloused hands that looked so much more dainty than his own. 

He couldn’t ignore it when she stumbled and fell. That seemed to break the lock on his lips. 

“You okay?” he asked her. 

“Yeah,” she said, “just wish I was more graceful.” She winced with her next step. 

“Looks like you twisted yer ankle somethin’ awful,” Barret said. 

“I think so,” Myrna said. She tried another and winced again. Barret didn’t say a word, instead he just scooped her up. He tried not to think too much about how nice she felt in his arms. 

“Hope it’s not too forward of me,” he said. 

“No no,” Myrna said, “I just hope I’m not too heavy.”

“Nah, yer like nothin’ at all…I mean…it’s no trouble.” Barret carried her in silence for a few meters. Then Myrna spoke again. 

“Eleanor says that she thinks you’re sweet on me,” Myrna said, “that Dyne got all cold and clammy around her before he started talkin’ to her and yer doin the same.” Barret felt his cheeks heating up. 

“Am I that obvious?” he asked her. 

“No,” Myrna said, “Because I told Eleanor she was full of shit and getting my hopes up like that was mean.” 

“You mean…” Barret faltered, stopping his steps, but not setting Myrna down, “I just thought…I’m so big and tall…and clumsy and rough.”

“I’m clumsy and rough too,” Myrna said, “Stubborn as a mule to boot. I only look short and sweet.”

“I like stubborn,” Barret said. 

“I like big and tall too,” Myrna said. Barret smiled at her. 

“You have pretty eyes too,” Myrna said, “I like that about you the most. They look so soft to me.”

“Yours shine for me,” Barret told her. They stared into each others eyes for a moment. It was the most romantic moment of their lives and they hadn’t even kissed yet. Barret looked away first. 

“We should get yer foot taken care of,” Barret said. Myrna looked towards town too. 

“The view is lovely all the way up here,” Myrna said. 

“Maybe sometime I’ll carry you when you don’t nearly break your leg.” He knew he was going to spend a lot of hours trying to get her to laugh again like that. 

He couldn’t wait.


	2. Avalanche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kids these days...they need more lookin after. Deep down, Barret doesn't mind.

Kids these days. 

Barret grunted as he went over all the gear Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge had “prepped”. It was…messy

“Is this how…HQ…trained you?” Barret asked as Biggs was walking out the door. 

“Yeah?” Biggs said, “I just went over it again…is something wrong?” Yes there was. These packs would fall open as soon as they got picked up. Jessie and Biggs were overburdened. Wedge’s had bad buckles and was going to snap. Barret turned back to Biggs. 

“Nah,” he said, “nothin’ you should worry about.” 

* * *

Jessie snuck as quietly as she could down the hall to where Barret and the other HQ leaders were having a private meeting. Everyone knew that sound traveled out of there pretty easy…and you could hear everything. 

“Ow!” she heard someone whisper. 

“Sorry,” someone else whispered back. Jessie rolled her eyes and peeked around the corner. Biggs and Wedge, mucking things up as usual. 

Boys, never send them in for a ladies job. 

“Keep quiet,” she hissed, opting to join them and get things under control rather than let them be and get caught. 

“Told ya she was coming,” Wedge said to Biggs. Jessie rolled her eyes again. 

“I’m trying to hear,” she said. The voices were more muffled than usual…maybe trying to be quiet too. 

“Did Barret tell you what this one was about?” Biggs asked, “I know they weren’t happy with how our last mission went.” 

“No,” Jessie said, “but he didn’t seem happy either.” 

“DON’T YOU DARE GO AND GIVE ME THAT SHIT!” Barret’s voice was unmistakable even through a wall. They all jumped at the sound of it. There was more sounds of someone trying to calm Barret. 

“I’M NOT THE ONE WHO’S BARELY TRAINING THESE KIDS TO FIGHT AND SENDING THEM OUT TO DIE!” Barret roared again, “Y’all seem to have _no_ problem with _that_ , But when _I_ , put just myself in danger suddenly it’s a PROBLEM!?” All three looked at each other. 

“FUCK THAT NOISE _”_ Barret’s voice made some of the lights rattle, “I saw the packs you sent them with. Falling apart, unevenly packed. I was the one who had to show Wedge how to load his weapon!” 

Suddenly all three knew they shouldn’t be hearing this. Biggs nodded back down the hall and they all filed down. 

* * *

“Wallace is no longer a member of our organization,” one of the Lieutenants replied to Jessie. She looked back to Biggs and Wedge. 

“Do you…know where he went?” Jessie asked innocently. 

* * *

Barret looked out of the Seventh Heaven Bar. 

“You knew it was just a matter of time,” Tifa said. Barret fought not to smile. Tifa was just a kid…but she acted three times her age. She left Avalanche a month before he did after all. Marlene was on his lap, refusing to let him go. She was always like this when she knew he was sad. He never could figure out how she knew…

“I did,” Barret said, “I just didn’t think they’d ignore every word I said. Those kids…they expected me to lead them like that…straight into failure.”

“I don’t think all of them ignored you,” Tifa said not looking up from where she was drying a glass. 

“Why do you say that?” Barret asked. 

“They’re coming right this way,” Tifa said. Barret looked up. 

“Hiya Barret!” Jessie said walking in, “Heard you might be looking for recruits for the latest Avalanche branch.” Biggs and Wedge filed in after her.

Barret shook his head at them. At the kids he had trained, and protected, and looked after for months. At their bright faces ready to work for him.

“We could use the manpower,” Tifa said, fighting her own smile. 

“Kids these days,” he sighed out. 

* * *

Bonus: 

“Soldier Boy!” Barret barked out. Cloud looked over, bored. 

“Your boot’s untied, hate to see you fall flat on your face before you even get on the train,” Barret said drily. 

“Uh…oh,” Cloud bent down to tie it. 

“You’d damn well be worth what Tifa said you were,” Barret grumbled…but he suspected Cloud was. He listened and tied it. It had taken Jessie three weeks to listen properly to him…and she turned out pretty good. 


	3. Marlene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barret has a hard talk to the person he loves the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place after AC to ease any confusions

He knew this day would come. He always did, and always dreaded it. He could never blame Marlene though. 

“Papa,” she asked softly over her empty dinner plate, “How come I don’t remember having a Mama?” He knew it was coming, but it still hit him like an iron bar to his gut. He glanced over at Cloud and Tifa. They nodded. They had talked about this and they knew their jobs. This was a talk Marlene and Barret should have alone. They started to usher people away, let Barret and Marlene escape to the back of Seventh Heaven. 

He sat down, waiting for her to hop up on the arm of the chair. He ran his fingers through her hair gently, trying to find the words. 

“You need to remember,” Barret started softly, “that you’ll always be my baby girl. I will always love you Marlene.” She blinked and cocked her head. 

“This might be a hard thing to hear,” Barret continued, “but you just gotta remember that.” She nodded firmly. He pulled a book from a nearby bookshelf, the edges singed and tattered, but it was still holding together. Marlene had seen it before, but it never really caught her interest like her other storybooks. 

“I met you the day you were born,” Barret started, “and you were the most precious thing I had ever seen in my life. I just couldn’t believe it when I met you, with your big beautiful eyes and just a big tuft of brown hair…” he trailed off, not wanting to say it and potentially shatter her whole world. 

“But when I met you…I wasn’t your papa,” Barret finally confessed. Marlene looked more confused than ever. 

“Marlene…you had two parents when you were born…but I wasn’t one of ‘em.” He gently opened the book as if it was ready to fall apart in his hands. It hurt seeing their faces, but Marlene deserved to know. 

“Your Papa’s name was Dyne. Your Mama’s was Eleanor. They loved you more than anything, more than Gaia itself.” It was getting easier, all of this was the absolute truth. Marlene peered at the pictures. Barret tapped one with a finger. 

“That was your Papa,” he said. It was a great picture of Dyne, of both of them when they were young at the old Tavern in Corel, laughing at everything and nothing. Eleanor had told Dyne she was pregnant that day and Dyne could have danced on clouds. 

“He was a good man,” he told her, “and my best friend.” Marlene leaned forward trying to get all the details in her mind. She looked so much like Dyne, in the nose and the set of her mouth. The rest was all Eleanor. 

“And she was your Mama,” Barret said, “she was such a sweet woman. If anybody asked she would have given the coat off her shoulders to help out.” Eleanor’s pose was serious with a cooking spoon sticking out of her crossed arms, but her angry face wasn’t serious. She was half-breaking out in a smirk. She looked at Dyne like that so often, but she was rarely ever truly angry with him. She just wanted him to come up and kiss her ‘till she opened up again. 

“This whole book is full of pictures of ‘em,” Barret told Marlene, “of us.” He flipped until he found it. 

“See look, here’s you and me,” he said pointing. He was holding Marlene in his arms…and Myra looking in. She had guided him into holding his first baby. And he knew after that moment that he wanted kids too. 

“Who’s that lady?” Marlene asked. Barret swallowed. It would never be easy to talk about her, but gods he would never forgive himself if he tried to forget her. 

“Her name was Myrna,” Barret said, “She and I were married like your Mama and Papa were married. We were all the best of friends.” 

“How come they’re not here?” Marlene said. Barret felt a rush of anger, but kept it down. Marlene deserved to have her parents here, they all should be here if it hadn’t been for...

“It was ShinRa,” Barret said softly, “When you were just a tiny thing…ShinRa got angry about things in the reactor they put right next to where we lived…and they decided to try and get rid of all of us. They threw bombs at our town, kinda like when they made the plate fall at the Seventh Heaven in Sector 7. A lot of people got hurt and a lot of people were…gone.”

“Mama and Papa?” she asked. Barret nodded. 

“And…you and Myrna?” she asked. He nodded again. 

“I tried to save them all,” Barret said, “but I couldn’t. All I could save…was you.” Marlene blinked up at him. 

“And after I saved you…I promised that I would always be your Papa. Always. And I’ll always love you, just like I loved Myrna and your Mama and your Papa.” Marlene was now looking through the old photo album, all Barret had left of Old Corel. She stopped again at the picture of Barret first holding her. 

“I think I remember this,” she said. He smiled. 

“You do?” he said playing along. She nodded fully serious. 

“I think I remember seeing you and you smiling…because I decided then that you might make a good Papa,” she said. He laughed at her now. 

“And I remember you holding me later,” Marlene said, “when it was all hazy and smoky…and you didn’t have an arm that time, but you held me still and promised it was all gonna be okay someday.” His laughter faded. 

“That you’d protect me and protect the planet so me and all of us would live and the lifestream would be okay,” Marlene said. He brushed her hair out of her face. He remembered telling her that too, but she had been so small, still practically a baby. 

“I did promise that,” he told her, “and I still mean it.”

“‘Cause you’re my Papa?” she asked him. 

“And I always will be,” he swore again. She nodded, still touching the picture of Barret holding her for the first time. 

“I do want to know about them,” she said, “but…you’ll always be my Papa.” He hugged her around the shoulder and they flipped through the photos, leaning on each other. 


	4. ShinRa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barret's hate of ShinRa leads him to very unlikely sources for sabotage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you wanna know more about Turk!Cloud, check out the headcanons I have on my Tumblr!

His hate burned deep. It burned more the wound on his arm, the phantom pains, the burn that came every single time he fired a shot, the searing sharp sparks that came every time he changed his prosthetic. Pain was something he was just used to know, but hate was different. 

Hate could surprise you. Hate just popped up when it wanted to, whether you wanted it or not. And it always burned for Barret. 

But he never thought his hate would bring him here, to this low. 

He had trusted Biggs. The kid had a good head on his shoulders and usually could read people fairly well. He kept a good handle on the neighborhood watch when he worked his shifts. He never though Biggs would bring one of them here. 

“What do you want Turk?” Barret more or less spat, the hate in him sizzled in reply. 

“Nothing,” the Turk said, he didn’t even seem surprised that Barret knew he was a Turk. Biggs certainly was. This man didn’t look like a Turk, no suit or jacket, not even slacks. His motorcycle jacket was all he had and even that looked beat up. 

But Barret knew, had heard of this one. 

Heard he was _insane._ Something about a baseball bat, a lot of broken limbs, and a laugh that caused and incredible amount of terror. 

“Why are you here?” Barret snarled back, “Slums don’t play nice with your kind.”

“I live here,” the blonde said, just as breezily, completely by Barret’s searing words, his searing hate. _Liar._

“Sector 5,” the blonde said, “by the Leaf House.”

“They know who you are?” Barret grumbled feeding more fuel into that burn deep in his chest. Did they know this bastard worked against them to keep them where they were at. 

“It’s hard not to,” the blonde said, “I don’t get assigned slum jobs much though.” 

“That what you call it,” Barret said, eyeing him more, “An assignment.” 

“Sometimes,” the blonde said. 

“So murdering the helpless, the women the children, the ones who can’t fight back…just another assignment,” Barret said, almost feeling the flames themselves leaving his mouth. 

But the blonde’s ice refused to melt. 

“You think I don’t know who I work for?” the blonde said, still calm as ever, “you think they didn’t make sure that every time I clock in they own me, own each breath I take, own everyone I love.” 

Barret gave a pause. His hate burned deep, always had. 

The Blonde’s didn’t burn like his, but ice was just as destructive. 

“How do I know I can trust you,” Barret said. 

“You don’t,” the blonde said, “you never should. ShinRa owns my ass when I’m on the clock, but when I’m not…I work for me.”

“Cloud offered information,” Biggs said, “A weapons deployment of some kind.” 

“Why give this to us?” Barret said, “why not to the other Avalanche leaders, why just some offshoot.”

“Because you and I want the same thing,” the Turk, Cloud, said. 

“The end of ShinRa,” Barret scoffed. 

“Something _better_ ,” Cloud said, showing the first sign of emotion yet. It was small…but Barret didn’t think it was fake. Cloud _knew_. Cloud had _wanted._ And Cloud would probably _never_ have it. Barret saw that same thing in his own eyes. 

But this was ShinRa and Turks shouldn’t have dreams. 

“I don’t believe you,” Barret said. Instead Cloud smiled, not a kind thing. 

“Good,” Cloud said. 

This was either going to be the end of them or a grand success. If it was the former, Barret would take a lot of joy in shoving the end of his gatling gun up this Turk’s ass. 

But it was the latter…this was going to be messy. 

“What are you selling?” Barret said. 

“It’s free,” Cloud said, “ShinRa has a weapons shipment going to a warehouse. Perfect for a snatch and grab. I can’t say what, but I can say you probably won’t get much use out of it.” 

“Why do I even bother,” Barret snapped. 

“Because then ShinRa can’t use it either,” Cloud said, “It’s all I can say without this coming back to me.” Barret eyed him for longer. 

“When,” he demanded. 

* * *

Getting the truck was as easy as Cloud said. They had disguised it as Cloud said and it didn’t have nearly enough guards around it. They put the guards around the fake one. Barret opened it up. Then blinked. 

“What is this?” Wedge asked. Barret didn’t even know.

“It’s explosives,” Jessie said, “but the timers, the formula…we need the right code for these. We’d never find those.” 

“What do you think happens if we put in the wrong code?” Barret said. 

“I think…I think it mixes wrong and it turns into…garbage,” Jesse said, “The turk was right. We really can’t use this.”

_Then ShinRa can’t either._

“Type in wrong codes,” Barret said, “all ones. On all of ‘em.” 

“Are you serious,” Jesse said, “that would waste all of them.”

“Wasting ShinRa time, ShinRa money, ShinRa assets,” Barret said, “we ain’t using them, then ShinRa won’t either. It’s probably that new weapon HQ was hearin’ about…and now it’s all gone.” He didn’t say that Cloud had essentially taught him something valuable. ShinRa wanted to stop Avalanche from using their weapons against them…and now Barret knew how to stop them from getting used entirely. 

“After you type in the codes, dump them,” Barret said, “Hide them, make ShinRa think we took them and don’t know about them yet.”

“Okay?” Wedge said. 

“Because the next time we see these…we can put ‘em out of commission before anything starts.” 

* * *

Cloud was waiting just inside Sector 6 by the playground. He still seemed calm, still seemed like not quite a Turk. 

“I’ll never trust you,” Barret said sitting by him. 

“You shouldn’t,” Cloud agreed. 

Barret learned another thing from Cloud, that hate wasn’t always a useful tool, wasn’t always the thing that should lead him. 

It was hate that made him use his enemy as a friend. 

And now not all Friends were made friendly.

* * *

[Turk!Cloud Headcanons and AU's](https://up-sideand-down.tumblr.com/post/616303079056408576/is-it-possible-to-have-some-turkcloud-headcanons)


	5. Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A soft moment for Barret and Cloud, long after the world is saved.

Footsteps thudded on the second floor and then the stairs as Marlene sprinted through the lived-in portion of Seventh Heaven. Her “sorry Tifa” was muffled through the wall, but her pace didn’t slow. She skidded to a stop, then ran back to the living area. 

Barret looked up at her over his reading glasses. 

“Papa, can I go with Priscilla and Denzel and Betsy to that new movie place?” Marlene asked, “Betsy’s dad got tickets!” 

“Is he goin’?” Barret asked. Marlene made a little face, she was thirteen now. 

“Papa!” she said. 

“Is he?” Cloud said from the table close by. 

“Yes Dad,” Marlene said. Cloud and Barret shared a look. 

“It’s alright with me,” Barret said, “but be back by ten.” 

“But it’s a weekend!” Marlene said. 

“Ten thirty,” Barret amended, but Marlene was alright with that. She kissed Barret on the cheek and Cloud on his head. 

“There’s extra gil in my jacket pocket,” Cloud said, “Should be twenty.” 

“Thanks Dad!” 

“Have fun,” Barret called back. Marlene scampered out and the door slammed just after her “Bye!”. Barret turned back to his book. 

He smiled when warm fingers wound around his forearm. It’s was Cloud’s way of holding his missing hand, just holding the part of the arm just above where most of the prosthetics attached. Cloud was still writing fast with his other hand. 

“It’s been forever since we’ve had a night to ourselves,” Barret said, “wanna do something?” 

“What were you thinking?” Cloud asked, with a short yawn. He was back from a long delivery stretch and Barret was home from a solar energy test. It really had been awhile since they had each other alone. 

But gods was he tired. 

“Movie night in?” Barret said. Cloud smiled. Barret’s heart always stuttered when Cloud’s eyes got that sort of warm haze to them. He saw it the first time at Gold Saucer and had kind of been hooked since then. Cloud said he was doomed when Barret took off his sunglasses in Midgar, when they first met. 

“You have the warmest brown eyes,” Cloud told him often, “I always got crushes on people with pretty eyes.” From any other person it would have hurt. It would have made him think of Myrna. But with Cloud they didn’t have that spark of pain when he said it. 

Because Cloud wasn’t Myrna. He wasn’t here to replace her, or make her forgotten. He was here for the same reason Myrna was, and if she was in the Lifestream Barret had no doubt Myrna pushed Cloud back to him to keep them together, to keep things from getting too hard. 

“Sounds like I’d have loved her too,” Cloud had said when Barret confessed that. And Barret knew they’d be together for a while. 

“Whatcha wanna watch?” Cloud asked, standing and getting a good pop from his back. 

“I’ll make popcorn and drinks if you pick,” Barret offered. 

“Done,” Cloud said, stealing a short peck on the nose as Barret passed. 

* * *

Marlene and Denzel came home at 10:25 on the dot. The bar was rumbling, but Aunt Tifa had stepped out to let her hired help take over for a bit. She smiled at Marlene and pet her hair, then put a finger to her lips. Marlene’s eyes followed where Aunt Tifa’s short nod pointed. 

Papa and Dad were on the couch. Dad was tucked into Papa’s side and all cured up. Papa was reclined back a bit. Both were sound asleep. They were barely halfway through _Jurassic Park_. She and Tifa shared a look and a giggle. Marlene hugged Aunt Tina goodnight and tiptoed into the living room. She put a soft kiss on both of her adopted fathers heads. 

“Love you,” she told them. 

At 11, she stirred a little when her door opened. Then drifted back to sleep as Barret and Cloud wished her goodnight before moving to Denzel’s room to do the same. 


End file.
